


A Prince in Disguise (or, the Origin of the Gizmonic Amphibian Pox Outbreak)

by speccygeekgrrl



Series: even the mistakes aren't really mistakes at all [2]
Category: Mystery Science Theater 3000
Genre: Baby mad scientists, Fairy Tale Logic, Frogs, Gen, being in charge of Kinga is always a trip, the things Max gets roped into
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 15:44:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16495574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speccygeekgrrl/pseuds/speccygeekgrrl
Summary: Dr. F's evil fairy tales book has made several impressions on Kinga, and it falls on Max to manage those expectations.





	A Prince in Disguise (or, the Origin of the Gizmonic Amphibian Pox Outbreak)

**Author's Note:**

> This was for the Smoochtober challenge prompt "kissing a frog".

" _Another_  frog?" Max said in dismay.

"Yes! Keep catching them. One of them has to be right," Kinga said, putting the last frog into a bucket with the other three Max had caught for her. Her wide-brimmed sun hat kept most of her fair skin covered, and he had made sure to slather them both in sunscreen before they left Deep 13 for the morning to go play by the creek running past the Gizmonic campus. They'd been out there for nearly two hours, and four frogs in a bucket was all they had to show for it.

"Right for what?"

"Cursed! One of them has to be a cursed prince. And then I can marry him and he'll help me take over the world." Max stopped and stared at Kinga.

"Have you been  _kissing_  these frogs?"

"Duh. Why else would I be having you catch them?"

"I don't know, because you're a twisted little kid with evil plans?"

"I am, but that's not the number one reason."

"Kinga, you can't kiss frogs, they're dirty and full of germs."

"So are boys, according to Daddy."

"...he's not wrong."

"So what does it matter? I'm not gonna get frog pox... am I?"

"I don't think frog pox is a thing. But what if you kiss a cursed frog and instead of turning him into a prince, he turns you into a frog too?" Kinga's eyes widened and then narrowed.

"I think you're making that up."

"I think that frog princes are made up anyways. Come on, Kinga, you know those stories your dad tells you aren't real, right?" She folded her arms and stamped her foot in a clear warning sign of impending tantrum, and Max did some quick calculations before picking her up and spinning them both around until she screeched with laughter in his ear. "You don't need a prince to be a princess. You just need your dad to hurry up and rule the world already," he said as he set her back down, and she wrinkled her nose.

"I guess... I still think I'm just gonna have to rule it myself though," she said. "Cause Daddy's... not very good at doing things right, is he?"

"Your dad tries his best," Max said diplomatically. "And that's really all any of us can do."

"I think my best will be better than his best."

"I think you're probably right."

"Max... can I turn people I don't like into frogs when I'm an adult?"

"Only if you spend a lot of time on research and development, and pass all your classes at Gizmonics, and maybe make friends with a witch who can do it for you."

"Why can't I be a witch?"

"Because you're going to be a mad scientist, right? You can't be both."

"Why not?"

"Well, it's a lot of work to become either one of them, and you are a lazy little lump," he said, and tickled her sides. She shrieked and ran away from him, knocking over the bucket and freeing the frogs they'd captured, and Max shook his head and righted the bucket again. "Are you done kissing frogs for now? I think we have to go put on more sunscreen if we're staying out," he called after her, and she stopped running and walked back with a sulky expression.

"I guess we're done here," she said, and took the bucket from him. "And I don't even get any frogs to dissect. That's dumb."

"Oh, you're definitely not dissecting frogs for at least another six years," Max said in horror. "You're not allowed to touch a scalpel. Wow, that's a terrifying thought. Yeah, absolutely not." They headed back towards Deep 13, Kinga swinging the bucket at her side.

"Daddy would let me."

"He most certainly wouldn't."

"He would if I asked him."

"Go ahead and ask him, then. But don't cry about it when I'm right."

"You're not  _always_  right."

"When am I wrong?"

"Uhh..." 

"Let me know when you come up with an example," he said dryly, but she couldn't think of anything before they made it home and he herded her into the bathroom to scrub her hands and, after a moment's thought, her face.


End file.
